Our Cups Runneth Over

Michigan brewers continue to win international acclaim, but local consumers are the real winners

By Gerald Blakeslee

Published: October 7, 2016

Some brewers don’t want to be famous. And many don’t care for popularity contests. Still others scoff at judging and awarding a product based on something as subjective as “taste.”

However, one thing can be agreed upon: Michigan brewers have gained the attention of global beer judges and drinkers. And it’s not only the larger, well-known breweries that are bringing home trophies.

The Michigan Brewers Guild has more than 200 active member breweries listed on their website. And with all the variety available in the state, craft beer drinkers are the real winners.

Still, competitions do take place. And going back to 2014, Michigan brewers have brought home 39 medals and the Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year title from three of the largest beer competitions on the planet: The World Beer Cup, The U.S. Open Beer Championship, and the Great American Beer Festival.

Microbreweries and brewpubs have also been awarded accolades and hardware for their entries in over 90 different style categories. These beers are being judged against several thousand entries and breweries.

Here’s just a taste:

WORLD BEER CUP

Held every two years, it’s considered the “Olympics” of international beer competitions. The 2016 event judged 6,596 beers from 1,907 breweries representing 55 countries. Michigan brewers took three medals home in 2016 and five in 2014.

Nearly 5,000 beers representing over 90 different styles were sampled by judges from England, Canada, and the United States. Winners heard the results July 11
in Oxford, Ohio. Michigan landed seven medals, plus Portage-based Latitude 42 Brewing landed in the No. 9 spot of the Top 10 Breweries of 2016.

Founded in 1982, this event has grown and evolved with the American craft brewing industry. In 2014 and 2015, Michigan brewers took home six medals in each competition. The 2016 festival will be held Oct. 6-8 in Denver.